North Carolina State University (NCSU) has worked with CHOMARAT to develop a carbon fiber grid reinforcement for structural precast panels. Rudolf Seracino, associate professor at NCSU, pointed out the benefits industry could find by working with schools. In addition to access to faculty, students, and equipment, publication in peer-reviewed journals adds unbiased credibility to the research.

Seracino also discussed the variety of partnership opportunities available to the industry. Including federal agencies (such as the National Science Foundation), co-investing in cooperative research centers, structured testing and industry sponsorship of student researchers. This flexible structure allows both large and small companies to get in on the action. “We’re here to service a market where the types of services aren’t available elsewhere,” said Seracino.

John Carson, director of marketing at CHOMARAT, added additional factors from the industry perspective. Some of his “musts for success” include a clear understanding of the business objectives, a clear timeline, and ultimate findings suitable to the industry’s audience. Additionally, he said that companies should find a university within a reasonable distance from their operations. While many facilities have testing facilities, the close proximity helps maximize communication and cost-effectiveness.

In Canada, the University of Sherbrooke and Pultrall, Inc. have teamed to refine the company’s VRod, a no-rust composite rebar. Brahim Benmokrane, professor of civil engineering at Sherbrooke, says that not only does industry get access to cutting-edge facilities and research topics, but they help the next generation of engineers as well. “In these projects, students are essentially trained as employees, allowing the next generation of personnel to be increasingly trained and familiar with composites,” he said.

Keynote Speaker Mitt Romney encourages business owners to focus on hard work and ingenuity

Keynote speaker and 2008 presidential candidate Mitt Romney drew chuckles and applause from COMPOSITES attendees yesterday. He explained that, at the moment, he prefers to be in Las Vegas over the White House. After all, as the saying goes, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. According to Romney the same can’t be said about politics in Washington D.C.—something he knows a great deal about.

The former Massachusetts Governor touched on topics ranging from healthcare and education reform to the need for an energy strategy.  Romney explained that though his career experience has varied with time in the private, public and volunteer sectors, he recognizes two things they have in common:  Americans are willing to sacrifice to make things work, and Americans work hard to make things successful.

He explained that, while many think the solution to the economic crisis is out of their control, that’s not the case. He encouraged business owners to focus on those attributes that have made America great from its inception. “The key ingredient to success in all of these areas is a step back to good ol’ American ingenuity. If you look at Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates and countless other unsung success stories, what defines our country is an innovative and pioneering spirit,” Romney said.  “Their ingenuity helped make America an economic success story.”

He urged business owners to take a stand. “In no industry anywhere in the world, can a country have a Tier 1 sector if it first does not have a Tier 1 economy. “ He encouraged attendees to get involved in government. “In the competition of nations I am optimistic. I believe in the future of America. Sure we face tough competitors in the world, but our future remains bright as people stand up and say what they want, which lends itself to our continued economic freedom and success.”

Preceding Romney’s keynote address, industry veteran and business analyst Ray MacNeil gave attendees an overview of the current economic climate and how it affects the composites industry. Since 1960, the U.S. composites industry has had six downturns, he said, but the one that continued last year was “very severe.” The good news: Composites companies have compelling reasons to be optimistic this year and beyond.

The composites industry—along with many others during the recession—has been “hammered” since late in 2007, MacNeil said, but he predicts it will grow 3 percent to 5 percent this year, then 8 percent  to 12 percent annually from 2011-2014.

MacNeil pointed out that history is on the industry’s side. Using economic charts as illustration, he showed that U.S. growth in composites has far outperformed GDP, as well as competing industries such as steel and aluminum—and it’s not even close. “We can still safely say it’s a growth industry,” he said. “We’ve certainly slowed down, but we haven’t observed the peak and rapid decline associated with a mature industry. Better yet, we’ve always ratcheted back up after periods of decline.”

He showed that two indicators from the Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index predict economic growth in the second quarter of 2010. “It’s more reinforcement that recovery is on the way,” he said.

MacNeil also discussed how trends and developments in industries important to composites manufacturing, such as automotive, construction and wind, should help the industry rebound. “We’re not a one-trick show, and we’re not dependant on one sector of the economy,” he said. Also, the inherent advantages of composites (lightweight, strong, non-corrosive) should help to spark new applications, he said, but it’s also important to monitor issues such as regulation and offshore competitors.

“Remember, we are in quite a hole,” MacNeil said. “We took a nosedive in 2009, and we’ll be struggling to get out of that for a couple years. But we will get there.”

Then again, he might be among the first to admit that predicting economic matters isn’t an exact science. In a touch of levity that drew audience laughter, he presented his definition of an economist—”an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn’t happen today.”

A former Lamborghini employee himself, Feraboli recently spoke with Composites Manufacturing magazine about why the famous automotive company is moving forward with composites as its key technology for the future. To read the full interview, visit the CM Blog.

The session is geared toward “companies that produce products or materials that need to do research but don’t have in-house research capabilities and would like to learn how to do research using university researchers,” Bank says.

Universities typically charge overhead fees for research projects that come through the sponsorships. This method, which is expensive, often prevents small companies from funding research. Bank says there’s another way: “All universities have alternative mechanisms to allow individuals or companies to fund research or activities in academic department s without paying overhead by simply providing or donating funds through a university donation.”

This method allows companies to fund research in smaller amounts. However, companies give up the ability to direct the exact research that will be performed. “When someone works through these gift type donations, then it depends on the trust between the company and the researcher, to basically give the money, to give a letter that says we’re giving this gift to your research group to work in the area of fiber composites in construction, for example, and we look forward to hearing what you’ve done with it,” Bank says.

Bank and his co-presenters will share how they’ve built trust with industry partners and worked on research that benefitted both parties. In many cases, the research is performed by graduate students who need funding and research ideas. “I’ve had a number of students supported in this way. In order to get a graduate degree, there needs to be some contribution to the field beyond testing a bunch of materials,” says Bank. “I see a tremendous benefit to companies if you have a research budget. For $50,000, you can’t have a research department of your own, but you could give out two donations to universities for $25,000 to look at new variations on your materials and processes.”

For companies that worry about whether the research is proprietary, Bank has a response:  “Industry folks are much more nervous than they need to be when they work with academic researchers. Typically the research we do in process and manufacturing is product-specific, so even if we publish something in the open literature, we discuss the scientific advances and not the practical applications of the research.”